Şükrü Tunar (read Turkish version here)
Introduction
Şükrü Tunar, who left his mark on the casino period of Turkish Art Music with the unique and touching tone of his clarinet, took his place in history as a musical genius raised on his own. In his journey from Edremit to İzmir and then to Istanbul with his family in 1921; while acquiring his first serious knowledge from the İzmir and Üsküdar music societies, he gained knowledge of makam and usul from the composer Muallim Kazım Bey. He mastered the clarinet without taking lessons from anyone, solely with his own determination and interest, turning it into a solo accompanist in the most famous meclis (gatherings) and radio broadcasts of the era.
The most striking point of his career is the intimate and long-term cooperation he established with Zeki Müren. Müren saw Tunar not only as a musician but as a "father and brother," feeling closeness under this title, while Tunar took the stage as Müren's clarinetist for years. The artist, whose stage life ended tragically due to a heart attack during Müren's program at the Cumhuriyet Casino in the summer of 1962, keeps his memory alive with the cultural center opened in Edremit and recordings recompiled from shellac records. Tunar, who filtered the themes of longing and cefa (hardship) expressed in poems like "Geçti sevdâlarla ömrüm, gözü ceylan gözüdür" through his clarinet, has remained an indispensable symbol of the casino atmosphere in Turkey's musical memory.
Biography
Born in the Edremit district of Balıkesir in 1907, Şükrü Tunar holds a unique position in the mastery of clarinet in Classical Turkish Music and the casino stage. Shouldering the family's livelihood burden when his father and three uncles were drafted during the First World War, the artist established his first contact with music at the age of 13 with the enthusiasm he felt for the clarinet after seeing a soldier. Following this enthusiasm, Tunar acquired a clarinet, developed his talent in front of the instrument without taking lessons from anyone, and improved his note knowledge through his own efforts. He received his first serious musical knowledge after moving with his family from Edremit to İzmir in 1921, attending the İzmir Music Society, and arriving in Istanbul two years later to join the Üsküdar Music Society. Meeting composer Muallim Kazım Bey (Kazım Uz) in Üsküdar, Tunar took lessons on makam, usul, and nazariyat from him, and also entered the Mehter Team through Kazım Uz's mediation.
Throughout his career, the artist presented his voice to listeners for years playing clarinet and saxophone in Istanbul and Ankara radio stations, saz halls, and casinos. During this period, Tunar, who accompanied the famous singers of the era, is etched in memory especially with his close relationship with Zeki Müren. Müren defined Tunar as a "father, a brother" and took the stage as his clarinetist for years. Among the musical reflections of the relationship, the work "Bir muhabbet kuşu" stands out; this piece was recorded as Zeki Müren's first record and its composition is stated to belong to Tunar. Additionally, in some sources, claims are expressed that some of Zeki Müren's compositions actually belong to Tunar. Tunar, who enriched the music world with works like "Gözü ceylan gözüdür, bakışı mestanedir", "Adanın yeşil çamları" and "Geçti sevdâlarla ömrüm ihtiyar oldum bugün", also shared the same meclis with the great artists of the era such as Udi Hrant, Kemani Haydar Tatliyay and Selahattin Pınar.
Şükrü Tunar's active music career, which lasted between 1921–1962, ended with him saying goodbye to stage life as a result of a heart attack he had during Zeki Müren's program at the Cumhuriyet Casino in Istanbul. There is an inconsistency in sources regarding the date of death; while some sources point to the date July 15, 1962, others put forward August 15, 1962. Both groups of sources agree that the place of death was Istanbul and he was buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. A "Şükrü Tunar Culture Center" was opened in Edremit to keep the artist's memory alive.
It is seen that the exact number of original albums published during his lifetime could not be determined, and there is no information in current sources about specific music awards or official certificates. However, besides the work published in 2013 under the name "Şükrü Tunar", records compiled from archives in 2021 and 2022 such as "Orijinal Hicaz Raks", "Uşşak Raks", "Rast Çiftetelli" and "İstanbul Karşılaması (Taş Plaktan Günümüze)" show that the artist's legacy reaches the listener through archival studies today.
Style and Musical Identity
Şükrü Tunar is a unique clarinet master who blends Classical Turkish Music and Turkish Folk Music traditions with the 20th-century casino and radio culture. His instrument mastery is an interesting synthesis of educational discipline and natural talent; he learned to play the clarinet completely through his own efforts, developing his note knowledge personally without taking lessons from anyone. However, the formal education he received from composer Muallim Kazım Bey on makam, usul, and nazariyat positioned his melodic interpretations on a technical foundation. Playing the saxophone also indicates a flexibility that allowed him to adapt to the multi-instrumental transitions of the casino stage of the era.
His interpretation and musical personality are defined mostly by the role of an accompanist artist. For many years, he accompanied the leading voices of the era, especially Zeki Müren, as his clarinetist. This task endowed Tunar's performance style with a structure that not only played but also shaped; he was positioned as a fundamental voice supporting the soloist in harmony, maintaining the meclis atmosphere. Zeki Müren's definition of him as "father, a brother" reinforces his authoritative and reassuring presence in stage dynamics.
His repertoire offers clues about his emotional world. While nature descriptions and local narratives stand out in works like "Adanın yeşil çamları"; the interaction of longing for the beloved, hardship, and time is processed in compositions like "Geçti sevdâlarla ömrüm ihtiyar oldum bugün" or "Öyle çektim ki cefa dilde safa niyetine". Although the composition of "Bir muhabbet kuşu", recorded as Zeki Müren's first record, is stated to belong to Tunar, there are also claims in some sources that some of Müren's works were actually penned by Tunar. This uncertainty requires caution in interpreting his compositional side as well.
His journey throughout his life, extending from music societies in Edremit, İzmir and Istanbul to the casino and radio stage, added the colors of both Anatolia and city music to his voice. Losing his life in 1962 with a heart attack he had during Zeki Müren's program without ever leaving the stage showed his dependence on music and that stage life was a way of life until the very end. Today, the shellac record archive compilations from 2021-2022 that can be reached are among the basic sources that bring Tunar's clarinetist voice of that era and meclis to the listener.
Songs and Sound Recordings
Şükrü Tunar's musical legacy is shaped by his composer identity as well as his clarinet performance career accompanying many famous singers of the era, especially Zeki Müren. However, the vast majority of sound recordings reaching us today consist of archival compilations of shellac records released from the 1960s onwards digitized and published. Tunar's original works, who took place as an accompanist in live broadcasts and casinos, were preserved not in albums signed directly "Şükrü Tunar" due to the sound technology and publishing dynamics of that era, but rather in compilation formats.
Among the pieces highlighting his composer identity, "Gözü ceylan gözüdür, bakışı mestanedir" located in the Kürdilihicazkär makam comes first. Other works with high emotional intensity, "Ay öperken suların göğsünü, sahilde yıkan" in the Hüzzam makam and "Geçti sevdâlarla ömrüm ihtiyar oldum bugün" composed in the Hüseynî makam reflect the artist's inner world and interest in themes of old age. Tunar, who works the themes of cefa and longing with pieces like "Öyle çektim ki cefa dilde safa niyetine" and "Anar ömrünce gönül giden sevgilileri", also brings nature descriptions and navigation themes to his music with titles like "Adanın yeşil çamları" and "Gezer dolaşırsın her an gönülde".
The most concrete sound reflection of Şükrü Tunar's close bond with Zeki Müren is the work "Bir muhabbet kuşu". The composition of this piece, recorded as Zeki Müren's first record, belongs to Tunar according to sources. Although there are claims in some publications that some of Müren's compositions were actually written by Tunar, current documents show that Tunar is listed as the author of this piece.
Today, listeners who listen to the artist's works turn to archive studies published in 2021 and 2022. Titles such as "Orijinal Hicaz Raks" (1960/2021), "Uşşak Raks" (1965/2021), "Rast Çiftetelli" (2022) and "İstanbul Karşılaması (Taş Plaktan Günümüze)" (2022) are reworked versions of the rare original recordings that have reached us from the early 1960s to the present. There is also a compilation work published in 2013 under the name "Şükrü Tunar". The fact that the total number of original albums published during his lifetime has not been clarified indicates that these archive compilations are an important reference point in the artist's discography.
Context and Historical Position
Şükrü Tunar is one of the important clarinet masters who carried the Classical Turkish Music tradition to the casino and radio stage of the 20th century, born in Edremit in 1907 and died in Istanbul in the mid-1960s. His migration with his family from Edremit to İzmir in the early years of his career and receiving music education at the İzmir Music Society is evaluated as the beginning of a process bringing the traditional music culture of Anatolia to the center. Settling in Istanbul two years later and joining the Üsküdar Music Society, Tunar met composer Muallim Kazım Bey (Kazım Uz) thanks to the socio-musical environment there; strengthening his theoretical base by taking makam, usul and nazariyat lessons.
The most striking feature in the artist's musical identity is that his performance talent and theoretical education were gained through different paths. While Tunar gained makam knowledge from master teachers, he learned to play the clarinet and saxophone instruments entirely through his own efforts without taking lessons from any teacher. Developing the instrument he acquired with the enthusiasm he felt for a soldier he saw at thirteen with this method is an example of the efforts of the talented musicians of that era to overcome the existing educational opportunities and create their own paths. Throughout his active career between 1921 and 1962, he accompanied the most famous vocal artists of the era by taking place in Istanbul and Ankara radio stations, saz halls and casinos.
Tunar's strongest trace in the memory of music history comes from his professional and personal bond with Zeki Müren spanning many years. Tunar, who served as his clarinetist for years in Müren's programs, became an indispensable part of Müren's stage performances who defined himself as a "father and brother". This cooperation represents one of the peak points of the balanced relationship between the instrumentalist and the vocalist and the casino culture in Turkish music. However, some music historians and sources make claims that some compositions attributed to Zeki Müren actually belong to Tunar.
In 1962, Tunar, who ended his stage life as a result of a heart attack he had during Zeki Müren's program at the Cumhuriyet Casino, has inconsistencies in sources regarding the date of death. While some publications give the date July 15, 1962, others point to the date August 15, 1962. Although a culture center was opened in Edremit in memory of the artist buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery, there are unclear informations in sources about the exact determination of the number of original albums published during his life and the specific music awards he received. Nevertheless, Tunar, who found his place in the Turkish Art Music repertoire with compositions like "Adanın yeşil çamları" and "Gözü ceylan gözüdür", is remembered as one of the rare musicians who successfully bridged Turkish Folk Music and Classical Turkish Music with the casino aesthetic.
Legacy
Şükrü Tunar is remembered as one of the rare masters in Turkish music history where the clarinet was integrated with the sound of the saz. He completed his musical knowledge with great devotion on his own, but strengthened his theoretical base with the education he received from important names of the era such as Muallim Kazım Bey. This "self-taught" character created an originality in his performance that went beyond traditional patterns. Tunar's legacy concretizes especially in the long-term stage and life bond he established with Zeki Müren. Müren defined Tunar as a "father, a brother" behind the stage and in the meclis; this definition proves that Tunar was not just an accompanist but one of the trusted spines of the voice of the era.
The artist's life ended in the shadow of the stage, in the rhythm of the instrument he played. Losing his life as a result of a heart attack he had at the Cumhuriyet Casino during Zeki Müren's program in the mid-1960s was etched into memory as one of the most tragic moments in music history. The Şükrü Tunar Culture Center opened in Edremit after his death represents the most concrete value given to this master by the lands where he was born. In addition, claims that some of Zeki Müren's compositions actually belong to Tunar remain an area of discussion for music historians on how much his compositional side should be evaluated.
Today, Tunar's voice continues to reach the listener through compilation albums transferred from shellac records to the present day (2013, 2021 and 2022 editions). Although the exact determination of the number of original albums or the uncertainty in the ownership of some compositions may seem like a part of his legacy, the traces left in memory by his clarinet virtuosity and the repertoire he accompanied are unshakable. This journey extending from Edremit to Istanbul radio broadcasting constitutes one of the most important symbols of the bridges built with the clarinet in the transition period of the classical and folk music repertoire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Şükrü Tunar and what instruments has he mastered? He is a musical genius born in Edremit in 1907 who left his mark on the casino period of Turkish Art Music with his clarinet. Although he mainly played the clarinet, he also played the saxophone throughout his career. He learned clarinet and saxophone without taking lessons from anyone, solely with his own determination and interest, and developed his instrument mastery with his own efforts.
How was his music education and theoretical base formed? He received his first serious musical knowledge from the İzmir and Üsküdar music societies. He received formal education by meeting composer Muallim Kazım Bey (Kazım Uz) on makam, usul and nazariyat, but acquired his note knowledge and instrumental mastery by teaching himself.
What is known about his relationship with Zeki Müren and composer identity? Tunar is a long-term accompanist and partner in the position of "father and brother" for Zeki Müren. The composition of works like "Bir muhabbet kuşu" belongs to Tunar; however, there are claims in some sources that some compositions attributed to Zeki Müren were actually made by Tunar. This situation creates an uncertainty in the evaluation of the compositional side.
What are the definitive information about his death date and place? The artist passed away as a result of a heart attack he had during Zeki Müren's program at the Cumhuriyet Casino in Istanbul in the summer of 1962. Sources are in agreement on the fact that he was buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. However, there is an inconsistency regarding the death date; while some sources point to the date July 15, 1962, others point to August 15, 1962.
How can his works be accessed today and is there information about his discography? It is seen that the exact number of original albums published during his lifetime could not be determined and there is no information in sources about specific music awards. His works can be accessed through the "Taş Plaktan Günümüze" series works compiled from archives in 2013, 2021 and 2022 (e.g., "Orijinal Hicaz Raks", "İstanbul Karşılaması").